Product Description
Renowned professor and author Gilbert Strang demonstrates that linear algebra is a fascinating subject by showing both its beauty and value. While the mathematics is there, the effort is not all concentrated on proofs. Strang's emphasis is on understanding. He explains concepts, rather than deduces. This book is written in an informal and personal style and teaches real mathematics. The gears change in Chapter 2 as students reach the introduction of vector spaces. Throughout the book, the theory is motivated and reinforced by genuine applications, allowing pure mathematicians to teach applied mathematics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (73)

If you are a beginner, this is the book you must read!!!
I highly recommend this book to beginners. Is it possible there is no lemma, theorem or proof in an EXCELLENT math book? Yes! This book presents a very clear picture of linear algebra in a friendly way instead of simply listing some theorems. The words, notations and figures are very appropriate. The author is humorous. Sometimes, I even found I read the book with smile. Unbelievable! If you were scared by math once, you may try this book to retrieve your confidence and enthusiasm on math. It is really quite enjoying reading this book.

The best book for a first course in applied linear algebra
As someone who works in an R&D environment (and is called upon to use linear algebra to solve real world
engineering problems), I wanted to put this book in perspective for those who may be unsure of the true value of this book given the variance in the reviews.

1. This book presents an applied treatment of the subject appropriate for a first course. The goal of the
book is to provide the reader with an intuitive understanding of the material. Geometrical arguments and diagrams
are used throughout without apology. Coordinates and matrices are emphasized. Formal proofs are not emphasized.

2. This book is geared toward those doing computations in the real world.Linear algebra
is the workhorse of modern applied mathematics. Any modern course on linear algebra that does not cover LU, QR, SVD,
and least squares is out of touch with reality and in my opinion doing a disservice to those who are paying $$$
for an education.Specifically, those who are ever planning
to get a job in engineering or the mathematical sciences will at some time be expected to solve (or understand how
software like MATLAB solves) least squares problems, systems
of linear equations, eigenvalue problems, linear ODE's, optimization problems, etc...As a result, this book
is focused on matrices and computations.This book is practical in the sense that in the real world -where
numerical solutions are usually required - we are
forced to deal with a basis-dependent
finite-dimensional representation of our problem.

3. Those who require a second course in Linear Algebra covering Jordan Forms, the theory of linear operators, and more advanced material
will not have to unlearn anything from this book.In fact this book is a good stepping stone to further study.
For example, someone who comes to Hoffman/Kunze or Halmos after this book will better appreciate the more
abstract approach based on linear transformations. After all, how can anyone understand or appreciate
a formal abstract treatment of this material before one has a firm grasp of what is being abstracted?

4. Strang has a webpage with video lectures that augment the text and shed additional insight on the material. These
lectures are excellent and really demonstrate the love Strang has for teaching this subject to others.
In my opinion he has done the scientific and engineering communities a big service by writing this book and posting his
video lectures.

5. Strang has another text on Linear Algebra, Intro to Linear Algebra. Although that text is geared at slightly
a lower level, I like the present text better as a learning tool.
The Intro text is slightly more disjoint in its presentation
and seems to leave more for the reader to discover rather than just presenting the information.

6. If you really do not like Strang's writing style (which is very conversational, and in my opinion, better
than the dry style of other texts), tryMeyer's treatment ("Matrix Analysis and Applied Linear Algebra").Meyer is more of a traditional text and provides
material for both a first and second course on applied linear algebra (with more emphasis on a second course).

Good luck.

Wow...more than I ever wanted to know!
This book takes on the very difficult challenge of linear algebra. The book is pretty good, but acces to Strang's online lectures is awesome! This guy is a very good instructor, and I highly recommend watching his lectures when going through this book.

Still the clearest text on Linear Algebra
I was fortunate to have taken this course and Applied Mathematics from Gilbert Strang at MIT in the mid-late 1980's. We used this and his Introduction to Applied Mathematics texts. The revised edition of this text is updated and contains newer applications, and is current for today's students.

The texts (both of them) were the clearest and most relevant texts in mathematics that I ever used. This, coupled with Professor Strang's enthusiasm and down-to-earth teaching style made these courses actually enjoyable to this geology major. I use both texts as references to this day in the increasingly numerical science of geology and geochemistry. Coupled with Matlab, the texts are very helpful in leading me through development of numerical models in my research and teaching.

A Review of the 2nd Edition
"Linear Algebra and Its Applications" by Gilbert Strang is currently in its 4th edition, but this review is of the 2nd edition.I haven't seen the 4th, but I assume that it is as good as (if not better than) the 2nd.

The text is an excellent introduction to the subject.I was a new graduate student in applied mathematics in 1980 when I took a two-quarter sequence in linear algebra using this textbook.There are many other textbooks on the subject, virtually all of them in the traditional "Theorem-Proof with examples" format.It's easy to follow the logical flow in those texts, and that can sometimes be reassuring.However, Strang's textbook gives the reader deeper insights into the subject, though the reader will sometimes have to work harder to harvest them.It can sometimes be maddening to follow the logical flow in Strang, to separate the theorems from examples from observations.But the struggle is well worth it.I never found any logical flaws in Strang's reasoning (the same cannot be said for other texts), and Strang's notation was always conveniently general without being awkward.Over the years I have referred to Strang on minor points when other texts left me confused.

In short, I would recommend this book to any student as a reference, for self-study, or as a course textbook.But be ready to do the work to get the best possible understanding from it. ... Read more

Product Description

Linear algebra is relatively easy for students during the early stages of the course, when the material is presented in a familiar, concrete setting. But when abstract concepts are introduced, students often hit a brick wall. Instructors seem to agree that certain concepts (such as linear independence, spanning, subspace, vector space, and linear transformations), are not easily understood, and require time to assimilate. Since they are fundamental to the study of linear algebra, students' understanding of these concepts is vital to their mastery of the subject. Lay introduces these concepts early in a familiar, concrete Rn setting, develops them gradually, and returns to them again and again throughout the text so that when discussed in the abstract, these concepts are more accessible.

Customer Reviews (37)

Linear Algebra.
Linear Algebra by David C. Lay is a great book.It is very thorough at explain the matrix and different ideas in Linear Algebra.
Had no issues understanding the material and greatly helped me in class.I basically could only rely on the book as the professor wasn't as available as he should have.

I basically taught myself Linear with only minor issues that were resolved through practice.

NOT A GREAT BOOK
I got this book because I'm taking linear algebra and it is a required textbook. The book does not explain the material clear, and some of the true or false exercises are very ambiguous, it is not base on the general concepts of linear algebra. for example, true or false: A linear transformation is a special type of function, the superposition principle is a physical description of a linear transformation, etc. if you want to learn the basic theory of linear algebra, choose other books.

FIRSTCLASSBOOKS:Linear Algebra and Its Applications
Originally, I gave bad feedback, but after speaking with the company (First Class Books), they went out of their way to rush my textbook at a great price for a new book. I reccomend them.

Apparently not a self-study book
For those of you who plan to find a self-study material, do not count on this book. I'm a PhD in computer science department and I'm looking for some books to brush my understanding about the linear algebra. I'm looking for "notions" instead of "derivations". The author does a good job in the first few chapters but I quickly lost after the vector space. I believe that I have some background, though not solid, in linear algebra, but the writing is so dry that I cannot easily follow the flow. I do believe that the author is very knowledgeable.However, as a self-study material, it would be too tough in my opinion.

If you are looking for a self-study book that is easy to follow (especially for deep topics). Be prepare that understanding the intuition behind the formula is not well addressed in this book. I won't say it's a 1 star book in the view points of quality. But apparently, you learn nothing if you cannot follow it, right?

Do Not Purchase From This Seller!
I purchased a book for school from this seller on 8/06 and still have not received it (now 9/06). I tried to contact the seller a week and a half ago and still have not received a response. I would highly advise that you Do Not purchase anything from this seller. ... Read more

Product Description
One of a series of developmental maths textbooks, this volume focuses on basic algebra, with applications. It provides a learning system organized by objectives, around which all lessons, exercises, end-of-chapter review tests and ancillaries are arranged. The last objective in every section is, where applicable, devoted to applications, and a specific strategy is suggested for each major application problem, encouraging students to plan problem-solving strategies before addressing the problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

GREAT QUALITY
Even though this book was used it looks really new and there wasn't that much writing on it compared to my friends book.
Overall I am really satisfied with my purchase and recommend it to the people purchasing this book (:

Very good condition and price !!!! :)
I just got my book and It is in a better condition that I imagined! It's like new for a very good price!!! It's worth it! Thank you so much for shipping on time!

do not buy from this person!
I never recieved my book. It never even shipped. I waited 2 weeks for it to be shipped and had to end up paying $2o more for this book because i never got it from him. DONT BUY FROM THIS SELLER!!

PERFECT!
Great book, in Great condition and service was fast and easy! PERFECT!! thank you very much!!

Great book, loved the applications portion
The book's best part is the applications part. They use real life applications for the theory in a way that applies to simple, everyday problems. The seller was great and got me the book quickly without mixing the ISBN up like other sellers sometimes do. ... Read more

Product Description
This manual contains completely worked-out solutions for all the odd-numbered exercises in the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (60)

Poor textbook.Would have given 0 stars if possible.
Do not buy this book unless it is absolutely required for your class.The other reviewers discussing the lack of clarity and completeness in this book are telling you the truth.The presentation of the information is poor.

It's not that people are giving it bad reviews because it isn't "Mathematical" enough.Textbooks do exist that give a good treatment of the subject without going into gory detail.However, this book has information haphazardly organized and essentially glosses over almost everything in a "you get the hang of it, right? Lets move on" type feeling.

Find something else to buy.

Linear Algebra Book
The book was received quickly for a good price.Explanations in the book aren't very clear though.

waste of money
This book was required for my Linear Alg class last semester. Like everybody else, I'm going to add another one star for this poor written book. I have about three other Linear Algebra books and this one has the most illogical order. It teaches linear transformation without even saying what a vector really is. It teaches you matrix multiplication after linear transformation. It never says anything about the dot product. So I think that the author assumes you to know something in advance. At some point you will go to a dead end. You'll found that the explanation is not enough. So you'll end up looking for other books or some other sources to help you understand the material. That's what happened to me. Fortunately, as I looked for helps on the net I found a youtube channel with awesome video tutorials.It is KhanAcademy. The guy is so famous that he's featured on TV news. He's a hundred time better than my professor.

So, my advice is NEVER buy this book. Spend money for something else. If you want an easy A and a clear understanding of basic Linear Algebra, check out that youtube channel: KhanAcademy.

Best textbook I've taught out of
Bretscher's linear algebra book is the best textbook I've taught out of, from 4 years of college teaching. It is thoroughly well written, in considered and elegant prose. The three huge advantages of this book are, firstly, it provides motivation, both scientific and historical, for all the concepts introduced. Secondly, the organization is very well thought out and can be made to flow nicely (despite, or perhaps because of, not being canonical as other reviewers complain about). Thirdly, computational and conceptual issues are introduced alongside each other, so that one understands the practical relation between the Gram-Schmidt algorithm and QR-factorization, for example. The dynamical systems material is very nice, as is the explanation of least-squares minimization. There are plenty of exercises from the trivial to the conceptual, although sometimes i would have preferred more exercises of middling difficulty. The book starts with systems of linear equations and introduces abstractions gradually, intended as a transitional course for would-be mathematics majors. For my student body of mostly economists and mixed scientists, the march of abstraction started to become hard, and adding more problems of the down-to-earth variety in later chapters might help.

In summary, I would recommend anyone considering taking or teaching a course in linear algebra to look over this book. Other books (Strang, or Schaum's outline for extra exercises) might be handy for different levels of students, but this is a fine book and worth leafing through for the historical notes and overview of the subject alone.

To the reviewer who complained the book introduced subspaces before spaces: I find the book's choice on this and similar matters very sensible. Every finite-dimensional space is isomorphic to R^n, and that's the setting where linear algebra first becomes useful, and where subspaces arise naturally as kernels and images. Later one notices that the same ideas apply in more general settings - but why leap into the void of generality before the most comprehensible examples are understood? Examples first!See Tim Gowers' comments on the subject in his blog.

Worst Piece of **** I ever read in my life.
I am going to skip the intro and get on with the problems of this Son of a ***** textbook.

1. This has got to be the hardest math textbook I have ever read in my life. And I don't mean in a challenging way, I mean in a difficult to understand way. They do an extremely poor job on explaining Linear Algebra, examples are hard to follow, and there is no fundamentals at all. On the top of that, I think I've actually gotten dumber reading this pile of **** because I had to Google information, just because I was stuck on homework. This books believes that if they only show the theorems, definitions and a few USELESS examples, the student will learn. So to sum this all up, you won't learn any fundamentals or any tricks on how to solve matrix operations. Sometimes the author gets ****ing lazy and decided to let you do the proofs as homework problems. And no, these aren't proofs where you prove "if this, that happens," these are proof of definitions and properties, and this happens almost every chapter.

2. I want to talk about the "examples" more because they are worth mentioning. The book doesn't provide you with a solid example, even if it did, there wasn't enough to fully understand the concept. For instance, in Chapter 2.1 Ex5, it tells you about rotating a vector counterclockwise but the example doesn't tell you how to rotate clockwise. So on any problem that asks you to rotate clockwise (problem 34), you are screwed unless you read ahead into Chapter 2.2. And this happens all the time. In Chapter 3.4 they tell you how to do a transformation with coordinates in subspace, but the only example they provide you is orthogonal projection. None of the assign problems had to do with orthogonal projections, so again you are screwed unless you read ahead or asked someone for help. The only way to get around this is when your teacher assign even problems, and you do the odd problems just to check on the solution to see if it matches. That is literally the only way you will learn.

3. The solutions..... This is where the textbook bites you in the ass, and gets credit dock off your homework. The solutions in this textbook are so inconsistent, it is meant to confuse students. In Chapter 3.1, the solution to a Kernel of a transformation is for example [1, 0, -1]. Then, in Chapter 3.2, the textbook changes its ****ing mind and decides to write the same kernel of the same transformation as [-1, 0, 1]. Technically they are the same kernel, but that isn't what the solution on the back says, or the solution manual. So you can probably guess what's going to happen when the pathetic TA grades your homework. I am not kidding, everyone in our class had points taken off their homework because the kernel solution didn't match the solution in the manual, even though they are the same exact thing. We never knew what we did wrong until a few weeks after. So by reading from this textbook, you won't learn from your mistakes, you are going to keep making mistakes and suffer with it for the rest of your life!

4. Another thing I want to touch upon is the **** solutions the textbooks provide. The solutions are inconsistent, confusion and most of the time useless. Sometimes the questions are a bit complex, and if you look on the back in the solutions, they graciously said "Answers to more theoretical questions are omitted." (this includes graphs). Good job! at the same time, the textbook might as well tell every college student to go **** themselves! Sometimes the solutions doesn't even match the questions being asked. For instance Chapter 4.3 asked you write the basis of kernel, image, and the rank. On the back, each solution only has one answer, sometimes its a kernel, sometimes it is only the image, other times it's the matrix put into RREF. So unless you know how to do it and you gotten the problem right, the solutions won't help at all.

5. This last part consist the many ways how irritating the book can be. The books recycles a lot of the theorems and definitions. In Chapter 4.1, the examples are just a re-use of definitions and theorems from the previous chapters. Another things is that, some problems in the end are so tedious they tell you "You may use technology" (matlab?). Other times, the problems are too simple. Last but not least, some of the examples are written so it confuses you. Instead of a decent step-by-step answer, you get a cluttering of matrices and everything looks like a complete mess.

So let's recap:

1. Just a useless cluster of definition, theorems, and examples
2. Useless examples that don't help with the homework at all
3. Asking you to do proves as homework
4. Inconsistent Solutions
5. Inconsistent Solutions in the solutions manual
6. Lack of helpful solutions (no graphs)
7. Reusing the same theorems and definitions
8. Inconsistency in problem's difficulty
9. And a ton of other things!...

I can seriously go on and on about this pile of **** but it is starting to make my head hurt. This book isn't just bad, it is ****ing horrible. You don't learn anything, and what is worst, the book struggles you if you actually wanted to learn. If you designed a machine that turns things to opposite (black to white, big to small), you know what you will get by putting this book through that machine? The Holy Bible! This text book is a joke, the author clearly doesn't care if the students learn and he just wanted an easy cash-in. Unless you seriously have to take a class that requires this ****, only get this textbook used. I can't believe I have to put up with this textbook for another quarter.

... Read more

Product Description
Throughout this text, motivating real-world applications, examples, and exercises demonstrate how integral mathematical understanding is to student mastery in other disciplines, a variety of occupations, and everyday situations. A distinctive side-by-side format, pairing each example with a corresponding practice exercise, encourages students to get actively involved in the mathematical content from the start. Unique Mindstretchers target different levels and types of student understanding in one comprehensive problem set per section. Mindstretchers incorporate related investigation, critical thinking, reasoning, and pattern recognition exercises along with corresponding group work and cultural connections. To show how mathematics has evolved over the centuries, in many cultures, and throughout the world, each chapter features a compelling Cultural Note that investigates and illustrates the origins of mathematical concepts. Diverse topics include art, music, the evolution of digit notation, and the ancient practice of using a scale to find an unknown weight. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

perfect for the money I paied
The cover of the book was in poor condition but inside was perfect. I'm very satisfied with the price and the quality.

Introductory Algebra through Applications
The book was in very good shape and was delivered before the date promised.I was very impressed with their service!

Math text book
The book arrived very quickly and in perfect condition.I have no complaints about this transaction. Unfortunately, we ended up with the wrong book because my daughter had to take a lower division math course instead based on test scores!I had to re-sell it, but was able to do so with no problem. ... Read more

Product Description

This thorough and accessible text–from one of the leading figures in the use of technology in linear algebra–gives readers a challenging and broad understanding of the subject. The author infuses key concepts with their modern practical applications to offer readers examples of how mathematics is used in the real world. This book stresses the important roles geometry and visualization play in understanding linear algebra.

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book
I have taught from this textbook (previous edition) and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are a undergraduate/graduate math major, this is not the book for you. If you are an undergraduate engineering or science major, I doubt you can find a better book on Linear Algebra. What I liked the most about this book is that the author has managed to convey a lot with very few words. For those who want to teach themselves Linear Algebra, this is a great book iff you are willing to figure out missing steps in the theory presented. Trust me, it leads to much better understanding than reading a textbook with all details presented. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Algebra I
Received the book sooner than expected.Book is in excellent condition.Helpful for parent as school does not have enough books to send home one with each child so only means for our child to receive help at home.

Buying Used Text Books is the Way to Go!
Bought this book used for my daughter to have a spare at home.LOTS cheaper than new.Was delivered within several days in great condition.From now on, I will always check Amazon first, before buying at the school bookstore!

Algebra 1
This book was in excellent condition. The delivery was as promised.The pages are in tact and we will make great use of it. I strongly recommend this site for ALL your book needs!!

Very helpful
This workbook has been a great help for my daughter. She uses it to study for her exams and has done quite well. You must, however, buy the answer key separately. Look for "Algebra 1 Practice Workbook Answer Key", ISBN0-03-056499-9.

Good extra practice workbook
I am a 9th and 10th grade algebra teacher.I bought this book as a way to provide suplemental practice worksheets, and, for that purpose, it's great. There is a lot of reinforcement of fundamental concepts on each topic, although I would have preferred a little more basic skill review and a few less word problems.However, for a student who basically "gets it" and just needs a little more practice to gain confidence, this is a great resource. ... Read more

Product Description
This text is intended for a one- or two-semester undergraduate course inabstract algebra and covers the traditional theoreticalaspects of groups, rings, and fields. Many applications are included, including coding theory and cryptography. The nature of the exercises ranges overseveral categories; computational, conceptual, and theoretical problems areincluded. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

good book on abstract algebra
This is a good book on abstract algebra but more exceptionally it is licenced under an open-source documentation licence, and is available in electronic form free at [...]. The book presents group theory, with the Sylow theorems, rings, integral domains, Boolean algebras, vector spaces, and fields, concluding with Galois Theory.

Abstract indeed.
As part of a basic math course, this book was presented. At first glance, it seemed like a tough one. And indeed it is. Especially the "group" part's in this book is very hard-comprehensible, but hey, maybe that's just me.

For preliminary reading I recommend "Linear Algebra - Gateway To Mathematics" by Robert Messer. This clears up a few things before taking on "Abstract Algebra"

Best regards ... Read more

Product Description
The fourth edition of this textbook provides an introduction to elementary algebra. The text emphasizes problem-solving skills and integrates problem-solving exercises throughout. It also uses an integrated learning system, including error analysis problems, and "Explore to Learn" activities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Elementary Algebra with Applications: Solutions Manual
This is one of the best books for teaching Algebra to students that I have seen. ... Read more

Product Description

This thorough and accessible book from one of the leading figures in the field of linear algebra provides readers with both a challenging and broad understanding of linear algebra.  The author infuses key concepts with their modern practical applications to offer readers examples of how mathematics is used in the real world. Topics such as linear systems theory, matrix theory, and vector space theory are integrated with real world applications to give a clear understanding of the material and the application of the concepts to solve real world problems.  Each chapter contains integrated worked examples and chapter tests.  The book stresses the important role geometry and visualization play in understanding linear algebra. For anyone interested in the application of linear algebra theories to solve real world problems.

Customer Reviews (8)

Math is easy once you know how
Not bad so far.I like how it gets to the point and doesn't overindulge the reader with extra information.

Poor examples.
This book is poor at showing examples with complete explanations. They skip too many steps in the process and leave you wondering how they got to the final answer. I don't have experience with other books on this topic, but I would assume that there are better ones out there.

Hate this book
Why can't he just include a couple well explained examples for the ideas presented in the book? The sections are short and the very few examples skip multiple steps so I was left wondering how he got from here to there. Text is extremely dry, it's one proof after another and the definition for different ideas isn't clearly illustrated, just written in a bunch of gobbledygook that you have to decrypt like a foreign language. Even my professor admitted he didn't understand where Leon was going with one section and explained it to me in about 2 minutes that made total sense. A big waste of time, seems Leon wants to make everything as vague and hard to understand as possible.

Very Satisfied
The book arrived in a timely manner and the condition was just as described. Very satisfied!

Linear Algebra Done Wrong
Simply put, this is not the book that should be a bridge to upper-level undergraduate mathematics (ie. algebra and analysis), which is what the purpose of the book is at my university.The author obviously assumes knowledge of basic set theory and proof techniques in the exercises, with no appendix for reference, and most students have not been acquainted with either only having had three elementary computational calculus courses.The proofs of the theorems are rather dull and Leon really fails to give any motivation as to why it might be true.Before my class began, I used it for self-study, and really felt like I could have gotten a better treatment for a different book (which I did later on).The writing in the book is not clear or concise either, I might add.The saving grace of this book is that its exercise section is vast and contains some interesting problems (but the most interesting really require knowledge of how to construct proofs and set theory).It's just really not a great book to prepare anyone for Algebra or Analysis.

For a better treatment, see Brown's Matrices and Vector Spaces. ... Read more

Product Description
When the answer at the back of the book is simply not enough, then you need the Student Solutions Manual.  With fully worked-out solutions to all odd-numbered text problems, the Student Solutions Manual lets you "learn by example" and see the mathematical steps required to reach a solution.  Worked-out problems included in the Solutions Manual are carefully selected from the textbook as representative of each section's exercise sets so you can follow-along and study more effectively. The Student Solutions Manual is simply the fastest way to see your mistakes, improve learning, and get better grades. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Elementary Algebra
Book is in excellent shape (like new).I would definetly buy another book in the used column and from this seller.

?
I have honestly only opened this book once because I (luckily) have a really great teacher, but the companion website and MyMathLab are really great so the book probably is too.

False advertising
Be careful who you order this book from. When this issue arrived it was the instructor addition, not the student addition. The company claims that was stated on the sales page but it was not. They offered a refund but it was too late to make a return and repurchase as classes had already started.

great buy
the book was delivered quickly. it was described as good but the book was in emaculate condition. it seemed as if it hadnt even been used. i was very pleased with this purchase.

Poorly Written
I find this book to be poorly written in the grammatical aspect.This book seems to be aimed for people who just need to brush up on their algebra skills as opposed to those who need to learn the concepts.Horrible, and way overpriced book! ... Read more

Product Description
Intended for developmental math courses in intermediate algebra, this text retains the hallmark features that have made the Aufmann texts market leaders: an interactive approach in an objective-based framework: a clear writing style, and an emphasis on problem-solving strategies. The acclaimed Aufmann Interactive Method, allows students to try a skill as it is introduced with matched-pair examples, offering students immediate feedback, reinforcing the concept, identifying problem areas, and, overall, promoting student success. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Item Was Not What Was Ordereed
I ordered the student version, ISBN 978-0-618-8036-2 and was sent 9780-618-80370-5 which is the instructor's version.It was ordered on the 13th and arrived on the 24th.There was NOTHING in the seller's description that showed it to be the instructor's version but rather "Intermediate Algebra with Applications."

The condition wasn't all that good, the corners were crushed and bent.Regardless of the condition the book arrived in (as I knew it was used and as long as it's readable, it's condition is irrelevant to me), it is NOT what I ordered and am very unhappy with this purchase.I have no choice but to use the book as obviously, cost is an issue or I wouldn't have purchased a used textbook in the first place.The added annotations and red ink answers make the book extremely difficult to work with and it makes it even more difficult to properly follow along in class.

Recent purchase was on time
The product was definitely used as was mentioned in the description. Not maintained to my standards but it was definitely usable. I'm done with the class now and I have no problem with the purchase, definitely a good buy!!!

Fast Shipping...Great Product
My book came to me faster than I expected and it was in great condition. I would happily buy from them again. I greatly recommend them 100%

Good Service
The book was in excellent condition and got it even sooner than expected. I will buy more books this way its fast, cheaper than in the bookstore in school.

Great algebra book!
This book had a good method to showing problems, if for any reason you are not totally comfortable with algebra, do yourself a favor, and buy the student solutions manual! It is money well spent! Make sure you do the problems BEFORE you look at the manual! Remember that, and you should be fine. ... Read more

Product Description
This manual contains completely worked-out solutions for all the odd-numbered section-level exercises in the text (excluding Writing About Mathematics and Group Activity exercises), and solutions to all Concept Exercises, Checking Basic Concepts exercises, Chapter Review, Chapter Test, and Cumulative Review exercises. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Intermediate Algebra with Applications & Visualization (3rd Edition) (Rockswold Developmental Mathematics Series)
the book was brand new, no complaints with condition, but they gave me the teachers edition without telling me thats what i was getting. ... Read more

Product Description

Unique in its approach, the Lehmann Algebra Series uses curve fitting to model compelling, authentic situations, while answering the perennial question “But what is this good for?” Lehmann begins with interesting data sets, and then uses the data to find models and derive equations that fit the scenario. This interactive approach to the data helps readers connect concepts and motivates them to learn. The curve-fitting approach encourages readers to understand functions graphically, numerically, and symbolically. Because of the multi-faceted understanding that they gain, readers are able to verbally describe the concepts related to functions.

Customer Reviews (6)

Algebra Book
I recieved the correct book, but the comment said "ONE" sticker on the front. The truth was the entire back of the book was covered! This will make re-selling very hard.

Exelent book
This book is in excellent conditions is exactly what I need it. The delivery was very fast I highly recommend this seller.

Intermediate Algebra
For those that don't like anything that has to do with math this book isn't too bad. I purchased this book for an intermediate algebra course required prior to taking stats. When comparing this book to other math books I've used in the past and other books I've used in other subjects, it fairs pretty well. This textbook does a good job explaining concepts and shows you good examples that you actually learn from. When I am doing the homework I usually refference back to one of those examples to make sure I am doing everything correctly and following all the steps. I found that errors are minimal in this book which really pleases me since it costs quite a bit. Overall I like this textbook and it does a good job teaching you.

Good Price+Fast Shipping=Good Deal.
I did not want to make the initial purchase but this dealer made the ordeal much easier by saving me the bookstore price and getting me the textbook more than a week before classes began.

........
good condition useable forgive my grammar my dictionary is in my head good time in coming ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: Pearson Addison WesleyEdition: Third ... Read more

Customer Reviews (48)

Solid Introduction
This book is a good introduction to linear algebra. The concepts and theorems are really well explained. I would say this would be a really good book to teach yourself, especially if you get the solutions manual.

Great way to save cash
Chances are you are a university student in need of a linear algebra textbook. Great news! This older version is exactly the same as the newer version in every which way. If the new edition is a required text for your class this older edition will save you some cash. I bought this edition from amazon.com for 13 dollars. The university bookstore was charging 178 dollars for basically the same book.

Good introductory text but may not be enough for the math savvy ...
Happens to read through a few chapters of this book recently.I think it's probably a decent text for someone that has never had Linear Algebra before, but I would recommend Axler's 'Linear algebra Done Right' or Halmos' 'Finite-Dimensional Vector Spaces' for more math savvy students.

slow shipping but good product
Product was exactly what I expected. The only thing I did not like was that the shipping took too long.

good first introduction
This book is good for a basic introduction, that is for people who have never really seen much linear algebra and who haven't taken a proof-based course before. I used it in my first linear algebra course as an undergrad, and also when I taught an introductory course over the summer.

I especially like that it has some options, such as details of R^n being presented at the end of chapter two as an alternative to covering those facts in the more general context of "vector spaces" in chapter 4. It is not especially rigorous as far as proving things, and does not get too in depth as far as computations though there are some good sections on dynamical systems. So if you are teaching a class that is half engineers and half math majors, it strikes a decent balance.

For anyone who uses linear algebra, you will not be able to get away with having this as your only book, try Strang or Axler for more computational or theoretical (respectively) treatments. It is definitely a good intro though, it gives a decent overview of the main ideas. ... Read more

Product Description
When the answer at the back of the book is simply not enough, then you need the Student Solutions Manual.  With fully worked-out solutions to all odd-numbered text problems, the Student Solutions Manual lets you "learn by example" and see the mathematical steps required to reach a solution.  Worked-out problems included in the Solutions Manual are carefully selected from the textbook as representative of each section's exercise sets so you can follow-along and study more effectively. The Student Solutions Manual is simply the fastest way to see your mistakes, improve learning, and get better grades. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Helpful and Limited
This manual is an excellent study tool. It is limited to the odd-numbered problems. It has the same answers as are in the back of the book BUT, the manual provides a complete step-by-step procedure for how the answer was arrived at.
I bought mine used from a reputable seller on Amazon and it was in as good condition as a new one and much cheaper than the college bookstore's price, even with S&H.

D&B Textbooks Rule!!
Highly reccommend D & B Textbooks!!I ordered my book on 9/23 about 1pm.I received the book the next day by noon on STANDARD SHIPPING!!Loved the fast delivery and the book was practically in mint condition.Will order from D & B again and again!!Thanks guys!

Exactly what I needed
This book was brand new with the CD's intact as advertised.It was delivered when it was promised.I was very satisfied and would recommend ordering from them.

NEVER GOT THE BOOK
I
put in a order for this book and never got it, so I had to go to the book store to purchase it. Don't need it now too late.

Ecellent!
This book was in Excellent Condition! All the extra's were intact and still sealed, such as the video learning cd's and the math lab code!!!
I would definitely buy from this person again! ... Read more

Product Description
This classic treatment of linear algebra presents the fundamentals in the clearest possible way, examining basic ideas by means of computational examples and geometrical interpretation. It proceeds from familiar concepts to the unfamiliar, from the concrete to the abstract. Readers consistently praise this outstanding text for its expository style and clarity of presentation.

• The applications version features a wide variety of interesting, contemporary applications.
• Clear, accessible, step-by-step explanations make the material crystal clear.
• Established the intricate thread of relationships between systems of equations, matrices, determinants, vectors, linear transformations and eigenvalues.

Customer Reviews (5)

not the best
This is the textbook I was required to buy; but because of its sloppy content, I was compelled to buy other books. This may be also due to the fact that my professor is inadequate. However, if you are like me and take responsibility for your learning, consider Linear Algebra by Larson. I bought an older edition for almost nothing. It is so much more thorough and clear.

Easy to understand and good homework problems
I just used this book in the Spring '09 semester for the first half of Linear Algebra (my school likes to take forever to get through things, consequently, we have Linear Algebra I and II).

The book was easy to read and understand and the homework problems were pretty good (but at times laborious). It also had a lot of good background information and examples of how this type of mathematics is used today in research and industry.

I got a 3.0/4.0 in the course, so I'm pleased. I would recommend this book for your college.

Rough Journey.
This is the text I used this previous semester for my Linear Algebra class. I had no linear algebra background before taking this class. That being said, this was one of the roughest classes I've ever got through only because the book kept going against the grain in every way possible. I didn't even begin to understand the entire point of linear algebra until about chapter 7 and 8 when the chapters started going into the general cases, and even now, I know how to "solve" all the problems without even knowing their meaning, which seems totally pointless to me. The selected answers to the problems in the book are in no particular pattern. It's not "all odds" or "all evens"; it's just scattered and it made doing homework a nightmare. I felt like I was back in elementary school while reading this book, because back then all I did was learn "methods" of solving problems without understanding "why". The book almost never discussed the purpose or main idea of the subjects it discussed. The "explanations" it gave would be based off of other vague topics. For example "What is the Eigenvector Problem? Well, the eigenvector problem asks if there is a basis for R^n in a nXn matrix consisting of eigenvectors of said matrix", OK so What's a basis? "A basis a set of vectors for a vector space S is linearly independant and/or set that spans the space S" and the cycle kept hitting me with one definition after another without giving me a big picture or anything. A bit of the book is about "applications" of linear algebra, but doesn't help until you've understood the meat of the book that came beforehand. Also, there were no teachers' solutions manuals available when I took this class, because the distributers have been extremely lax about getting them out (why? who knows). I'm not just saying this book is bad because I was lazy and didn't do well. I worked extremely hard to do "well" in this class. I must have read this book twice through and like I said before, I can solve all the problems but please don't ask me to explain their significance or validate their existence, because I can't. STAY AWAY!

Learn-by-rote Linear Algebra (8th edition)
At my university, David Lay's book is used. They experimented with Anton's (this), and now they're back to Lay's Linear Algebra. Insofar as a Linear Algebra is taught relying heavily on matrixes, I can compare this book with 3 other books: David Lay's; Terry Lawson's; and the one by Hans Schneider and George Barker (Dover book, very cheap). Anton's Linear Algebra has the least theory of all 4. It results in an even poorer product than his Calculus book. Truth be told, I did not use Anton's book, and neither do I wish to. I've suffered too much of his "style" from Calculus, and I saw enough of his Linear Algebra to want to risk jeopardizing my study effort to delve into his book. I'll stick with my other 3 books, thank you very much If you must know: as to what regards "theoretical bent", the order is: Schneider > Lawson > Lay > Anton. Applications: Schneider < Lawson ~ Lay < Anton, but only because Anton's discussions are a little more extensive (not by a great margin). Applications really seems to be its strong point, spanning more than 100 pages in a single chapter, with many interesting and somewhat detailed discussions on "Real World" (to use a term dear to Computer Science types) applications: ecology, graph theory, computer tomography, etc. (none of which you'll learn from this book, by the way, each is a field of its own). I can't recommend it, except as a curiosity.

starts with tangible topics
Anton is now in the 9th edition of this book. Spanning decades of refinement. What you get is a very polished and well written text, that has incorporated feedback from generations of students.

The book starts by describing matrix manipulations and determinants. These are very tangible things to most maths students. Accordingly, explaining how to take determinants or to invert a matrix lets you build confidence in your knowledge. Also, these topics lends themselves readily to many problems for you to do.

After this, the book heads into more abstract territory. Null and range spaces and the rank nullity theorem, for example. You are exposed to the concept of an abstract vector space. Which invariably some students always trip over. So the grounding in the early chapters can mitigate this awkwardness.

The last chapter touches lightly on the interesting applications, like chaos and fractals. But mostly to pique your interest in proceeding further in the field. ... Read more

Product Description
This book presents the basic ideas of linear algebra in a manner that users will find understandable. It offers a fine balance between abstraction/theory and computational skills, and gives readers an excellent opportunity to learn how to handle abstract concepts. Included in this comprehensive and easy-to-follow manual are these topics: linear equations and matrices; solving linear systems; real vector spaces; inner product spaces; linear transformations and matrices; determinants; eigenvalues and eigenvectors; differential equations; and MATLAB for linear algebra. Because this book gives real applications for linear algebraic basic ideas and computational techniques, it is useful as a reference work for mathematicians and those in field of computer science. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Terrible book
The book gives little explanation on key ideas of chapters.

The questions the book gives are difficult. I had to ask my friend to help me with the problems, and it turned out it was actually very easy. What made it crazy hard to do the problems in the book was because the book fails at explaining what are the important points and what are not the so important points.

What it fails to give compared to other texts:
-Point out the key points. (The book gives the key point very subtly)
-Gives more examples for problems. (The book does give some examples but most of it are just proving theorems. Other books do this too but at least gives other better example that students could refer to when answering the questions.)

Horribly written, terrible examples, worst textbook I own
I was forced to use this book for my linear algebra course at UW-Madison.When I saw the poor reviews for it, I figured it would be wise to check out some other texts to supplement this and I am so glad that I did.If you are using this book to learn Linear Algebra, you have my sincere condolences because it is terribly written and the examples are in no way useful.I found Schaum's Beginning Linear Algebra and Anton's book on Linear Algebra (from which I believe Kolman and Hill poorly copied) infinitely more helpful. If you MUST use this book, get it from inter-library loan, don't let anyone make a single penny more on it.Other useful sources of information on Linear Algebra include: Gilbert Strang's Linear Algebra book and his lectures [...]

the worst textbook i have had to date..


Next to having a professor that couldn't speak english, this textbook was not at all helpful.

First off, it doesn't show how it comes up with it's answers, the book seemed scattered and was ineffective in self teaching.I had to subsidize my learning with online notes from another professor to even understand some of the material.

The funny thing is, you have to buy an additional solutions manual, WHAT A RIP OFF!!?

I've had so many better textbooks...Linear Algebra and it's corresponding text taught me to hate mathematics.

Pity the fool......
.... who is given this as a course textbook. It's touted as an applications book so it's going to get inflicted on non-math majors. Now I'm not saying that proofs are not important, but please give me the intuition and some good examples first. A favourite trick is to give a question which is unclearly drafted and then allow the poor sucker who has to answer it to wade through lemma after proof after corollary trying to find either an explanation or rarer still a relevant example. Makes the subject far harder than it needs to be and is an impediment to learning. AWFUL simply AWFUL.

Ideal Introduction to the Subject
There are some fairly justified complaints about Kolman's text. Some claim that it is too computational to be of any use to a budding mathematician, and others, that its expository is insufficient to be of use for those in other fields. There are a number of purely computational excersices, but there is no shortage of mathematical rigor in this text. All of the essential theorems are properly presented and constructed, and the subsequent examples are nicely divided between proofs and their application. This text may not be as exhaustive as others, but all of the core material is there. As for those who do not intend to pursue further studies in math, it offers a plethora of related applications including finance, physics, and chemistry. This is a mature textbook, now in it's ninth edition, and it certainly shows. Tougher concepts presented in a number of ways, while simpler ones are kept brief. As for lacking in rigor, I would rebut this claim. The early exercises are often computational, and can be skipped in favor of the later ones which are as rigorous as I have seen. When I first encountered the subject I was already familiar with much of the material, so I opted to go through each of the challenge exercises. At every theorem, I woudl first attempt my own proof, and then compare it with the one offered. If you take the time to do the more difficult problems, you will find yourself more than ready for upper level mathematical courses. You will not find a more palatable introduction to algebraic structures. Compared to other texts, this text is very readable. In short, it is a comprehensive text will challenge its readers. This is the third version of the text to find its way into my library. Recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

KEY MESSAGE: Gary Rockswold and Terry Krieger focus on teaching algebra in context, giving readers realistic and convincing answers to the perennial question, “When will I ever use this?” The authors’ consistent use of real data, graphs, and tables throughout the examples and exercise sets gives meaning to the numbers and equations as readers encounter them. This new edition further enhances Rockswold and Krieger’s focus on math in the real world with new features and updated applications to engage today’s readers.

KEY TOPICS: Introduction to Algebra; Linear Equations and Inequalities; Graphing Equations; Systems of Linear Equations In Two Variables; Polynomials and Exponents; Factoring Polynomials and Solving Equations; Rational Expressions; Radical Expressions; Quadratic Equations

MARKET: For all readers interested in algebra.

Customer Reviews (2)

Beginning Algebra with Applications
Book was received very quickly. Condition was exactly as stated. Would definitely buy from again!

Good
This book covers the principles of pre-algebra and goes into the beginning Algebra quite well.Although when explaining the steps, in my opinion misses steps very important to the new student.The visualizations are not very clear to the visual student.

The cover is great, but the way the book is put together needs a better assemble method.Pages tends to get loose.

Overall review 2 and 1/2 starts. ... Read more

Product Description
Glencoe Algebra: Concepts and Applications. Teacher's Wraparound Edition (California Edition). ... Read more